The stat which showed Mesut Ozil's determination against Tottenham

Mesut Ozil's start to the season has seen him cop plenty of flak, but in the North London derby he was one of Arsenal's better players.

While the German could not win the game for his club, his commitment off the ball showed he is making real steps to address criticism directed at him.

Ozil won the ball back for his side more than any other Arsenal player, helping the Gunners hold 69 per cent of possession.

Match

Matchday

Pos

Ball Recoveries

Mesut Özil

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

MF

6

Laurent Koscielny

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

DF

5

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

MF

5

Jack Wilshere

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

MF

5

Mikel Arteta

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

MF

4

Santiago Cazorla

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

MF

4

Calum Chambers

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

DF

4

Per Mertesacker

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

DF

3

Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal vs Spurs

06

MF

3

A lot of the harsh words for Ozil have been fair on previous occasions, for example against Dortmund he managed only three passes in the final third of the pitch.

Yet the derby showed he is attempting to re-dress that and work on his game, by applying pressure on the opposition from the front.

It's perhaps logical he would be able to lift himself for the derby, and now the World Cup winner will have to ensure he can keep up his work rate over the coming games, particularly away to Chelsea this weekend, a game he missed through injury last season.

Dan Coombs

Dan Coombs is a writer who is keen to embrace the internet revolution. He first started writing for us in June 2011 and commenced his new role as Sports Editor in February 2012.
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